Regeneration at Sawston Village College

Public consultation launched for Sawston Village College’s regeneration

Bowmer + Kirkland has been selected by the Department for Education (DfE) as the main contractor on plans to regenerate Sawston Village College, a 1200-pupil 11-16 mixed academy.

Sawston Village College boasts a heritage setting and unique character, however, some of the current unlisted building stock and site layout are inefficient for the demands of a modern curriculum. The DfE has tasked Bowmer + Kirkland with planning for the future of the College: to better accommodate pupils and staff, reduce running costs, bolster the collegiate style layout, protect its historic listed buildings and provide improved facilities for the local community to share.

The project team has been working closely with the College, Anglian Learning and officers at South Cambridgeshire District Council in preparation of the plans and is inviting local people to view them at an exhibition on Tuesday 23rd January 2024, from 5.30-8.30pm in the Henry Morris Hall, Sawston Village College, New Road, Sawston, CB22 3BP or by visiting the project website www.sawstonvillagecollegeplans.co.uk where you can register for updates and leave your feedback after the exhibition.

Jonathan Russell, Principal, commented, “The regeneration of Sawston Village College is a transformational opportunity for our staff, pupils and the community we are privileged to serve. We are proud to be the first village college founded by Henry Morris in 1930. His vision was for a school which would nurture a lifelong love of learning for people of all ages, in an environment that offered inspiration. Based on Cambridge University courtyards, our original Grade II listed buildings reflect these ideals, and these values are still at the heart of our work nearly a century later. The proposals we are asking the community to consider will help protect those ideals and values for generations to come.”

Jonathan Culpin, Chief Executive Officer at Anglian Learning said, “The plans represent a major investment from the DfE in this excellent local community-facing school. The mission of Anglian Learning is to enable inclusive and aspirational learning in every classroom, empower leaders across every academy, and ensure inspiring, exciting opportunities and educational success for our learners, people and communities. Our brief to the architects was to undertake the regeneration plans with this mission and our values in mind. They have responded with a new school building that respects Sawston’s important historic and listed buildings whilst meeting the latest standards of sustainability and improving the functionality of the site layout.”